Sunday, April 09, 2006

It isn't to difficult these days to see that the GOP is in trouble in America. They have squandered their political capital. If they are true to form, they are in political red ink. Judging by the poll numbers, investigations, and indictments, it's seems like an easily provable fact.

So come November you'd think the Democrats are a shoe in, and my guess is they will be. The main stream conservative media continues to harp the point that Democrats have no plan, and I hear it on liberal radio as well. Even Kos, of the Daily Kos said so on the Colbert Report on cable TV.

The essential point is, is it any better to replace the people with the GOP tag with the same type of political people wearing the Democrat tag? Said that way, no it isn't. But I think there are some progressive Democrats in our Congress that read the thoughts of the American public quite well. And to a certain extent, it means they really don't need a plan initially.

Why? Because they'll have their hands full just undoing the oppressive legislation the Republicons have passed. Which to me is an important point. If they aren't going to bother to repeal the many bills that are a burden on the American people, and give aways to corporations, than they are the same ilk as the current Republicons. The PATRIOT Act should be flushed. It is completely useless. I know of no area that it covers that isn't already mentioned by another law somewhere else, and it contradicts the Bill of Rights. No Child Left Behind needs amending to remove Section 9526. Go read it if you don't know what it says. The bankruptcy bill needs to be dramatically rewritten if not trashed. Lobby and ethics reform. Tort reform needs to be abolished. The threats against the neutrality of the Net need to be stopped. Honest elections with a paper trial. And all those in favor of eliminating tax cuts for wealthy and corporations say AYE!

And if by miraculous chance they got all that done in short order, there is the situation in Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay to deal with. Then there is New Orleans. The restructuring of FEMA. In other words, there is plenty of damage control that needs to be attended to that the Republicans have not only allowed, they've created.

Then we can set about fixing our country, and I believe there are a lot of liberal ideas that are very good that will work. Not ones that will re-create the "good ol' days," because we can't do that. America is growing. We will be near a half a billion people by mid century. So we may need new economic models, and maybe even new political models. By golly, let's try by, of and for the people! Public financing of all campaigns so that every one is on a level playing field. Alter if not eliminate the two party system. Then the real work can begin.

Is is sounding like a plan yet?

Who champions these ideas? Gar Alperovitz is a good one. William Grieder is another. Greg Leroy. Richard Rorty. John Conyers, Jr. Dennis Kucinich. The late Paul Wellstone. Mark Miller. And these are just some of the one's I have read over the last year. I bet every one of you could produce your own list. And that sounds like more than one plan.

Furthermore, I think we would do well to re-acquaint ourselves with the founding documents, and the writings of the founders and their peers. The likes of Ben Franklin, Tom Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

From that foundation of our historical beginnings, I think we could effectively reach forward in our grand experiment, our plan, of creating a more perfect union.

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